Thursday, September 16, 2010

Amen, Salaam and Shalom!

One of many magical trees on the Capitol grounds.

(from the Navajo healing ceremony called Night Chant)

Tségihi,House made of dawn.House made of evening light.House made of the dark cloud.House made of male rain.House made of dark mist.House made of female rain.House made of pollen.House made of grasshoppers.Dark cloud is at the door.The trail out of it is dark cloud.The zigzag lightning stands high upon it.Male deity!Your offering I make.I have prepared a smoke for you.Restore my feet for me.Restore my legs for me.Restore my body for me.Restore my mind for me.This very day take out your spell for me.Your spell remove for me.You have taken it away for me.Far off it has gone.Happily I recover.Happily my interior becomes cool.Happily I go forth.My interior feeling cool, may I walk.No longer sore, may I walk.Impervious to pain, may I walk.With lively feeling may I walk.As it used to be long ago, may I walk.Happily may I walk.Happily, with abundant dark clouds, may I walk.Happily, with abundant showers, may I walk.Happily, with abundant plants, may I walk.Happily, on a trail of pollen, may I walk.Happily may I walk.Being as it used to be long ago, may I walk.May it be beautiful before meMay it be beautiful behind me.May it be beautiful below me.May it be beautiful above me.May it be beautiful all around me.In beauty it is finished.

What a beautiful prayer and healing poem. I will have to reread it many times. I love the cadence of it. When you read it aloud, it sounds like walking to me...the words making footprints across my mind, body, spirit...helping to bring me together.BTW that is one of the coolest places on Capitol Hill, always shady, with the spring that trickles behind it. I rarely get there...but always stop in it if I pass. It is frequently empty just as you show it... think the spring is now augmented with a pump, but I assume at one time it was a natural spring that came up there...would love to know the history of it more one day.Peace and Thanxx.

E, the summerhouse is built over the old Tiber River (don't know what the Indians called it before that). The land surrounding the river was swamp.

The summerhouse was built to help travelers restore themselves. The horses would drink from the fountains, the people, too. I love the grotto! It always blows my mind that this beautiful place is on the Capitol Grounds. Wow.